2371-2380 of 4412 results
In search of consistency: state schemes and policies
State and territory governments are increasingly willing to take action separate to the Federal Government to address climate change through state schemes, policies and, in some cases, legislation. This represents a change in approach at the state and territory level over the past decade, as climate ...
Voluntary schemes and soft law
The term 'soft law' refers to rules, principles or guidelines that are not themselves legally binding, but nonetheless play an important role in promoting compliance with certain standards of behaviour. Rules of 'soft law' can often act as a precursor to the emergence of 'hard law'. ...
OAIC's landmark case against Facebook to have major implications on Privacy Act
As Privacy Awareness Week this year called for individuals to #rebootyourprivacy and debate continues over the privacy protections for the COVIDSafe application, another step has been taken in the Australian Information Commissioner's (Commissioner) landmark case against Facebook, Inc and Facebook Ireland Ltd (together, Facebook) which will have major implications for the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and digital businesses operating from offshore entities. ...
State of trade: COVID-19's impacts on trade regulation and supply chain risks
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of international commerce, and will continue do so for some time. In this Insight, we discuss three critical trade-related impacts of the pandemic on Australian businesses. ...
A 'high risk' jurisdiction: climate change and directors' duties
Australian law requires certain standards of conduct of company directors, including that directors act in the best interests of the company and exercise care and diligence in performing their role. ...
RBA expands repo eligibility to include corporate bonds
The RBA has announced changes aimed at kick-starting demand for corporate bonds in the COVID-19 environment. To take advantage of the RBA's support, corporate treasurers and their financial advisers should consider applying to have their securities eligible for purchase by the RBA, bearing in mind the eligibility criteria we have summarised in this note. ...
Arbitration agreements – don’t play chicken with imprecise drafting
The decision in Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd v Hannigan [2020] NSWCA 82 found that a dispute was improperly referred to arbitration because the claim for unliquidated damages was not a dispute that fell within the scope of the arbitration agreement. This decision highlights the importance of precise drafting for all dispute resolution clauses. ...
Targeting net zero: a climate change guide
Even in a COVID-19 affected world, climate change remains a material consideration for most businesses. The challenge of reaching net zero by 2050, in particular, will increasingly demand the attention of in house legal and compliance teams. ...
Transforming the WA energy market
In WA, the development of distributed energy resources (DER) technologies and new business models that weren’t contemplated by the current regulatory regime can pose safety and security issues to the South West Interconnected System. The WA Government has addressed these and other issues through various work streams delivered (and anticipated) in 2020, paving the way for a new-look energy future. ...
Increasing climate litigation and shareholder action expected
There is a growing trend for legal action against corporates, particularly energy companies and financial firms. Many commentators, including former Chief Justice French, have predicted a continued rise in climate change litigation in Australia. ...